The Hero's Fortune
by Bandicoot Sauce
Summary: Link decides to stop by Astrid's place on the Isle of Ember to have his fortune told and from there, it's just a random, moderately cute story.


**The Hero's Fortune**

As the _S.S. Linebeck_ powered its way across the south-west ocean, Link gazed through the ship's telescope, making sure that Jolene was nowhere in the vicinity. It was a nice evening with calm waves and a starry sky and the young hero didn't want a crazy female pirate to spoil it. His gaze then settled on an island with a volcano, a faint orange glow shining out from within the crater. Link looked down at the sea chart in his free hand, his eyes hovering over the symbol of the goddess Din in the map's lower corner. It was the Isle of Ember.

"Het, Linebeck, can we stop over at the Isle of Ember?" he called.

"Whatever, kid." Linebeck called from below deck. "I could use a decent meal for a change."

"Hey, I caught that fish myself and cooked it to the best of my ability!" Link called back, a little annoyed. Linebeck didn't reply, choosing to focus on steering the ship so that it docked neatly at the volcanic isle's little pier. Once the boat was anchored, the self-proclaimed 'legendary captain' stepped up above deck, looking somewhat indifferent in his usual dark blue coat.

"You go on ahead, kid. I've got a bit of work to do on the deck." Linebeck told the young hero.

"Like what?" Celia asked, fluttering out from behind Link's cap.

"Just… work. Captain's work." Linebeck responded, folding his arms and turning away.

Celia frowned, not that anyone could see it on her tiny glowing orb of a face, which was, by extension, her entire being. "Are you hiding something?"

"Well, if I was, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, now would I?" the captain declared. "Link, just go."

"Uh, okay." Link said, surprised and unsure what to think of Linebeck's behaviour. The boy started onto dry land, Celia about to follow before Linebeck grabbed her, trapping the little fairy in his curled fist.

"Hey, what the-?!" she exclaimed, bewildered and outraged. "Let me go!"

"There comes a time when a boy needs some time alone. Even without fairies." Linebeck told her. "Go rejuvenate yourself, Link. Go meditate or drink a diet soda or whatever it is you do to unwind."

"Linebeck…" Link said in dumbfounded disbelief. If he lived to be a thousand, he'd never understand just what was going through that man's self absorbed ego of a head.

"Don't give me the awed, starry eyes. This isn't an anime, you know!" Linebeck told him. "Just do what you gotta do, kid. I don't pretend to understand it."

With a bewildered shrug, Link set off across the gritty dirt, soon making his way to the home of the fortune teller known as Astrid.

"Welcome, Link. I have been waiting for you." the mysterious young woman said in that soft, sweet voice of hers.

_'She looks beautiful again tonight.'_ Link thought to himself, taking a moment to bask in Astrid's beauty. Her flowing red hair, her shining jewellery, her kind face half hidden by a veil… Link became lost in those misty eyes for a few seconds. _'So beautiful…'_

"Have you come to ask me to tell your fortune?" Astrid asked, having noticed Link's momentary stupor. Her words roused the young hero from it and he tried not to blush. Oh, if Celia and Linebeck knew that he had a crush on this dazzling wise woman… Oh, how they would tease him!

"Oh, uh, yes. Definitely." Link babbled quickly, feeling his cheeks redden slightly. He pulled out the ten rupees he had set aside just for this, but Astrid smiled at him, holding up a hand to halt him as he made to place the two blue rupees on her table.

"No, Link. I could never accept rupees from you." she told him. "It is your destiny to purge the Great Sea of its evil. Fate's doors are always open to you. No entry fee required." With that, Astrid started to wave her hands in a mesmerising pattern over her crystal ball, the orb glowing with a faint white light. "I see it! I shall speak!" she suddenly gasped. "Listen with your heart!"

Link did so, looking more serious and alert than he had when he had entered Astrid's parlour. On her part, Astrid, in spite of looking excited when she had unraveled the secrets the crystal ball had presented to her, she now looked relaxed and spoke her next words calmly.

"The full moon shines bright in the night sky. With its light, fortune also shines down upon you. Your quest will be met with success, but your love life might not be so fruitful. At least, not at present."

"Oh." Link said, not sure what to say about that. Astrid strode around the table and gently lifted the boy's chin.

"Fret not, Link." she said gently, looking deep into his eyes. "With every loss comes opportunity." With this closing statement, Astrid kissed Link on the cheek and his blushing increased tenfold.

"You knew?" he asked in disbelief.

"Don't look so surprised." Astrid told him with a knowing smile. "I _am_ a fortune teller, after all."

"Good point." Link admitted with a shrug, running a hand over his green hat.

"As it happens, Link, I have already seen how your love life may play out. You _will_ find true love, but it will be sometime after your current quest is over. Bear in mind, however, that what I have seen is but one possible reality. It may or may not come to pass. You must take control of your own destiny. Only then will you and everyone else truly be freed from Bellum's curse and any other evil that might plague the path you walk through life."

"Wow, that's… a lot to take in." Link admitted. Astrid lightly kissed him on the other cheek, causing him to giggle sheepishly.

"I know that you'll make good use of this knowledge, my hero." she whispered.

As Link made his way back to Linebeck's ship, he felt a little dazed, his cheeks feeling somewhat electrified in the spots where Astrid had kissed him. He didn't see Linebeck until he nearly walked into him, pulling himself together at the last moment.

"So, how did it go?" Linebeck asked.

"Uh, how did wha-wha-what go?" Link stammered nervously.

"Your rest. You looked like you needed it."

"Oh, that!" Link said, chuckling nonchalantly. "It was cool. No big thing to report, really."

"I actually thought you'd be gone a little while longer than this."

"Nah, I'm the hero. I'm tough." Link said smugly. "Anyway, shall we shove off? I'm ready to hit the water again."

"If you say so." Linebeck said, suddenly giving Link a playful shove that sent the hero toppling into the shallows. The captain chortled with laughter. "Oh, that was priceless! You walked right into that one!"

"Hey, that wasn't funny!" Celia insisted, glaring at Linebeck with disapproval.

Link just sat up in the shallows, spitting out water. "Laugh it up, Linebeck." he said warningly. "Because when I get outta here, I'm gonna… I'm gonna… ah… aaahh-CHOO!"

Something about Link's sneeze just made Linebeck laugh all the harder. Celia even started to join in in spite of herself. Link rolled his eyes.

"Such is the life of the hero." he said, gazing up at the stars. A shooting star shot overhead and he smiled.

_'I wish that I could have more fun and peaceful moments like this with the people I care about.'_ he thought, staring happily at the many twinkling constellations.

* * *

><p><strong>That's a wrap, folks. How was it? Leave a review if you want and be sure to check out my other Zelda stories. Thanks for reading!<strong>


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